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Wyoming Clockworks
| About the modern day German movement |
Most of today's modern clock movements installed in their respective clock cases are German movements.
Within the last forty years or so, the majority of these have been Urgos, Hermle, and Keininger. Urgos has
since gone out of business, and their operations were bought out by Hermle. The movements are still made,
with minor differences, by Hermle. Keininger was bought out by Howard Miller Clocks of Zeeland, Michigan.
Howard Miller is the largest manufacturer of clocks in the United States.
When I first saw the German movements made by these manufacturers, all that I ever had heard about
German engineering and skill came to my memory. They really are works of beauty, more intricate than what a
person would expect, resplendent in their yellow brass and shiny steel. I really enjoyed working on these units
and restoring them to work accurately again.
But, I soon began to discover the shortcuts in manufacturing that these makers took to meet the demand of
building thousands of units a day. Thinner brass plates, softer steel for the wheel shafts, substitution of
plastic for less critical areas of the movement, and to me, one of the most critical areas of wear in a
movement, nickel-plated pivots, the part of the gearing that turns in the brass plates.
The use of softer steel has been attributed to the German's inherent penchant for less tooling changes and
care of their manufacturing machines, I have heard from one source. Since the steel is softer that means less
wear on their machines. But, that leaves a slight problem in the cutting and making of the pivots on the gear
shafts; that's the smaller end of the shaft that you see sticking through or in the brass plates of the movement.
Softer steel pivots being turned by the forces of weights or powerful springs will quickly wear out. The solution
to the problem was to plate the pivot ends in nickel, which is not quite as hard as chrome. Thus, the inevitable
forces working against the pivots are delayed to it's final demise and the complete stopping of the movement.
Please realize that the plating on these pivots are only a few millionths of an inch. All clock oils eventually
dissipate or dry up, and combined with the effects of dust (which is part silica or sand), the plating soon is
soon worn away or begins flaking off in some cases, and now you have some soft steel left. Someone once
said to me that the plating on soft steel that is used is like the chocolate dip on an ice cream cone; once the
chocolate dip is gone, you've got soft ice cream which melts away quickly.
I used to rebuild these movements when I first began doing clock repair. But I began to get recalls after
awhile, and found that the plating was flaking off and wearing away. I have never been a believer in
nickle-and-diming my customers to death on a repair. I have heard some people say that they did not repair
something that wasn't quite ready to fail as "job security". I have never believed in this and it is abhorrent to
me, to say the least. I ended up, at my own expense and at my own initiative, to replace these movements with
brand new, because I valued my reputation. It cost me a lot to do this, but ever since then, I have always
quoted the price of a new movement to my customers versus hours of machine work to cut off the pivots and
drive in a hardened steel pivot. At $55.00 per hour at the lathe doing both ends of 16 or more wheels, which
would you choose? Inevitably, my customers are always happy to replace the movements. Why? Well, one
thing has changed in the last 10 years or so, and that is the manufacturers have quit using the soft steel, and
now use a harder steel, plus they no longer plate the steel, but treat it in some proprietary process that
reduces wear. On the second wheel, which takes the brunt of force, they also use a milled bronze bushing.
Bronze is harder than brass.
Therefore, I am proud to offer to my customers these newer units with a two year parts warranty. I believe they
will last longer, and with proper care, last a lifetime.
Within the last forty years or so, the majority of these have been Urgos, Hermle, and Keininger. Urgos has
since gone out of business, and their operations were bought out by Hermle. The movements are still made,
with minor differences, by Hermle. Keininger was bought out by Howard Miller Clocks of Zeeland, Michigan.
Howard Miller is the largest manufacturer of clocks in the United States.
When I first saw the German movements made by these manufacturers, all that I ever had heard about
German engineering and skill came to my memory. They really are works of beauty, more intricate than what a
person would expect, resplendent in their yellow brass and shiny steel. I really enjoyed working on these units
and restoring them to work accurately again.
But, I soon began to discover the shortcuts in manufacturing that these makers took to meet the demand of
building thousands of units a day. Thinner brass plates, softer steel for the wheel shafts, substitution of
plastic for less critical areas of the movement, and to me, one of the most critical areas of wear in a
movement, nickel-plated pivots, the part of the gearing that turns in the brass plates.
The use of softer steel has been attributed to the German's inherent penchant for less tooling changes and
care of their manufacturing machines, I have heard from one source. Since the steel is softer that means less
wear on their machines. But, that leaves a slight problem in the cutting and making of the pivots on the gear
shafts; that's the smaller end of the shaft that you see sticking through or in the brass plates of the movement.
Softer steel pivots being turned by the forces of weights or powerful springs will quickly wear out. The solution
to the problem was to plate the pivot ends in nickel, which is not quite as hard as chrome. Thus, the inevitable
forces working against the pivots are delayed to it's final demise and the complete stopping of the movement.
Please realize that the plating on these pivots are only a few millionths of an inch. All clock oils eventually
dissipate or dry up, and combined with the effects of dust (which is part silica or sand), the plating soon is
soon worn away or begins flaking off in some cases, and now you have some soft steel left. Someone once
said to me that the plating on soft steel that is used is like the chocolate dip on an ice cream cone; once the
chocolate dip is gone, you've got soft ice cream which melts away quickly.
I used to rebuild these movements when I first began doing clock repair. But I began to get recalls after
awhile, and found that the plating was flaking off and wearing away. I have never been a believer in
nickle-and-diming my customers to death on a repair. I have heard some people say that they did not repair
something that wasn't quite ready to fail as "job security". I have never believed in this and it is abhorrent to
me, to say the least. I ended up, at my own expense and at my own initiative, to replace these movements with
brand new, because I valued my reputation. It cost me a lot to do this, but ever since then, I have always
quoted the price of a new movement to my customers versus hours of machine work to cut off the pivots and
drive in a hardened steel pivot. At $55.00 per hour at the lathe doing both ends of 16 or more wheels, which
would you choose? Inevitably, my customers are always happy to replace the movements. Why? Well, one
thing has changed in the last 10 years or so, and that is the manufacturers have quit using the soft steel, and
now use a harder steel, plus they no longer plate the steel, but treat it in some proprietary process that
reduces wear. On the second wheel, which takes the brunt of force, they also use a milled bronze bushing.
Bronze is harder than brass.
Therefore, I am proud to offer to my customers these newer units with a two year parts warranty. I believe they
will last longer, and with proper care, last a lifetime.